Radiation sensitive means for indicating the size of a package being wound

ABSTRACT

A machine for winding yarn packages and including a device for scanning a series of packages being wound on a spinning or twisting machine, or the like, and providing a signal for initiating doffing of full packages. A pair of sensing elements are responsive to signals from opposite portions of a full package for actuating a signal device to commence the doffing operation. These sensing elements are sensitive, one to the signals from each of opposite portions of the full package, and are connected so that only when both of the sensing elements are actuated is a circuit completed to the signal device which initiates doffing.

United States Patent Inventor William R. Whitney Cranston, R.I.

Appl. No. 877,678

Filed Nov. 18, 1969 Patented Nov. 9, 1971 Assignee Leesona Corporation Warwick, RJ.

Continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 671,918, Sept. 15, 1967, now abandoned.

RADIATION SENSITIVE MEANS FOR [NDICATING THE SIZE OF A PACKAGE BEING WOUND 219 WD, 221, 222; 57/80, 81, 87, 53, 54; 356/199, 156, 159, I60, 242; 242/475 Primary Examiner-Walter Stolwein AttorneysAlbert P. Davies and Burnett W. Norton ABSTRACT: A machine for winding yarn packages and including a device for scanning a series of packages being wound on a spinning or twisting machine, or the like, and providing a signal for initiating dofiing of full packages. A pair of sensing elements are responsive to signals from opposite portions of a full package for actuating a signal device to commence the doffing operation. These sensing elements are sensitive, one to the signals from each of opposite portions of the full package, and are connected so that only when both of the sensing elements are actuated is a circuit completed to the signal device which initiates doffing.

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INVENTOR WILLIAM R. WHITNEY FIG. 3 L'W Q ATTORNEYS RADIATION SENSITIVE MEANS FOR INDICATING THE SIZE OF A PACKAGE BEING WOUND This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 671,918 filed Sept. 15, 1967, now abandoned.

This invention relates to a machine for winding packages of strand material and, more particularly, to such a machine having a device for scanning a plurality of packages and providing a signal to initiate dofiing of a scanned package when the package is full.

As used herein the term package" means a body of yarn or other strand material wound on a core such as a bobbin, for example, so that it may be moved from place to place. The term yam" is employed in a general sense to apply to all kinds of strand material, either textile or otherwise.

Automatic dofi'mg of spinning or twisting machines requires some means for determining when any of a plurality of bobbins on the machine is full. As yarn is wound on a bobbin core the diameter of the bobbin increases and it is common commercial practice to provide a mechanical feeler for initiating dofi'ing when the bobbin has reached a desired diameter, or to automatically initiate dofiing of the bobbin after a predetermined period of time. Both of these expedients are useful, but mechanical sensing of the diameter of a bobbin is subject to inherent inaccuracies and requires that the feeler ride on the yarn, and the timing method requires coordination with winding speed and resetting of the timing device each time winding of a new bobbin commences.

The invention is, in brief, directed to a machine including a plurality of stations for winding packages and a device for scanning the packages and initiating operation of apparatus to doff any package found to be full. The device includes a sensor actuated by a signal from a full package being scanned to operate a signal device which initiates operation of apparatus for dofiing the full package.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved machine for winding packages of strand material.

Another object is provision of a new and improved machine for winding a package of strand material and including a device for indicating when the package is full. A related object is provision in such a machine of sensing means actuable responsive to receiving a signal from the full package, for operating a signal means. Another related object is provision of the sensing means in the form of a pair of sensing elements, one for receiving signals from each of opposite portions of the full package to actuate the signal means.

A more specific object is provision of a machine for winding packages of strand material and including a device for indicating when any of the packages is full, each package having opposite edge portions spaced progressively farther apart as the package is filled, with provisions for scanning the packages and including a sensing device actuable responsive to simultaneously receiving signals from each of the edge portions of the package being scanned, only when the package is full, with the sensing device connected for operating a signal device to produce a signal only when the sensing device is actuated, thereby indicating that a package is full. A related object is provision for mounting the sensing device on a carriage for movement passed the packages to scan the packages, and in which the sensing device comprises a pair of photosensitive elements. Another related object is provision for projecting spaced apart spots of light on the edge portions of the package to intensify the actuating rays. Still another related object is provision for effectively preventing rays for actuating one of the photosensitive elements from actuating the other of the elements.

Another object is provision of a device for operating a package winding machine to initiate doffing of a full package.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, schematic plan view of a spinning machine incorporating a preferred embodiment of the invention, with parts broken away and removed for clearer illustration;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a control circuit of the device; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a full bobbin, taken generally' on the line 33 in FIG. I.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention is an alternative dolfing control signal device for the Textile Machine" disclosed in a copending Leesona Corporation U.S. Pat. Application Ser. No. 534,081, by Charles C. Bell and Kurt W. Niederer, and filed Mar. 14, 1966, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,403,866, which discloses a spinning machine automatically operable for sensing when any of the bobbins being wound is full and for automatically dotting the full bobbin.

Referring to FIG. ll of the drawing, a machine such as a spinning frame it) includes a base 11 on which a series of stations each includes a spindle I2 suitably joumaled and driven. Each spindle removably mounts a bobbin 13 (FIG. 3) having a core 14 telescoped on the spindle and on which a strand of yarn may be wound to form a cylindrical body of yarn 15. As the bobbin is filled with yarn, its diameter increases.

As is more fully discussed in the aforementioned application, in order to scan the bobbins l3 and to dot? a full bobbin, a pair of parallel tracks 16 are mounted on the base 11 and receive wheels 17 of a carriage 18 mounted to traverse back and forth on the tracks 16 past the series of bobbins 113. The carriage wheels 17 are suitably joumaled on a carriage body I9 and, more particularly, a pair of these wheels 17 at one end of the carriage are fixedly mounted on a shaft 20 received in journals 21 of the carriage body. This shaft 20 has fixed thereto a driven pulley wheel 22 connected by a timing belt 23 with a drive wheel 24 of a suitable reversible air motor 25 mounted on the carriage body 19. As the carriage I8 moves in one direction toward one end of its tracks 16, a pivoted actuator 26 of a switch 27 mounted on the carriage 18 engages an abutment 28 on the base II to operate the switch actuator, and at the other end of this track the actuator 26 engages another abutment 29 to again reverse the carriage. The switch 27 is connected in circuit (FIG. 2) with a four-way solenoid valve 30 so that when the switch actuator 26 engages one of the abutments, as 28, the solenoid valve 30 is energized to reverse operation of the motor 25, and when the switch actuator engages the other of the abutments 29, the solenoid valve 30 is taken out of circuit to again reverse the direction of operation of the air motor 25, thus causing the carriage 18 to traverse to and fro past the bobbins 13 being wound on the spindles 11.2.

An operating device 31 for scanning the bobbins 13 to detect a full bobbin, as 13-1, and provide a signal to initiate doffing of the full bobbin, is mounted on the carriage body I9. This device 31 includes a sensor 32 illustrated in the form of a pair of sensing elements such as photosensitive elements or cells 32-l and 32-2 which are spaced from each other in the direction of movement of the carriage 18 past the series of bobbins 13. These photosensitive cells may be of any suitable, desired type, such as Clairex Corporation photoconductive cells CL904N. The sensor 32 is mounted on the carriage body 19 so that it is actuated responsive to a signal from a full bobbin 13 and, more particularly, responsive to a the cells 32-1 and 32-2 receiving discrete rays of light, schematically illustrated as rays 33-1 and 33-2, respectively, only from each of opposite edge portions 34-1 and 34-2, respectively, of the cylindrical body E5 of a full bobbin, as 13-1.

The bobbins 13 are spaced apart on the machine so that the cells 32-1 and 32-2 can only be actuated simultaneously by a full bobbin being scanned at the moment. Each cell is mounted so that both of the cells are actuated only when the diameter of the bobbin 13 being scanned has increased to the desired amount for a full bobbin. A lens 35 is mounted on the carriage body 19 to prevent the cells 32-1 and 32-2 from being simultaneously actuated by other than their respective rays.

In order to intensify the rays passing from the bobbin being scanned to the cells, a pair of lamps 36 are mounted on the carriage for projecting beams of light 37 to form spots of intense light on the opposite edge portions of only the bobbin being scanned.

With reference to the control diagram shown in FIG. 2, the two cells 32-1 and 32-2 are connected in series with an amplifier 38 and the actuating coil of a relay 39. This relay has a contact 39-1 (which serves the function of switch. 380 in the aforementioned US. Pat.) connected for actuating control apparatus 40 to doff the filled bobbin 13-1 from the spinning frame, as is described in the previously mentioned patent application.

To summarize the operation of the device, the carriage l8 constantly traverses to and fro on its tracks 16, reversing its direction at the opposite ends of the series of bobbins 13, each time the switch actuator 26 engages one of the abutments 28 or 29 on the base 11. AS the signal device 31 scans the series of bobbins 13 being wound on the spinning frame spindles 12, the lamps 36 illuminate the opposite edge portions 34-1 and 34-2 of the bobbin being scanned. When the diameter of a bobbin scanned has increased sufiiciently, both cells 32-]; and 32-2 are simultaneously actuated, thus completing the circuit through the amplifier 38 and the relay 39. The relay provides a signal by closing its contact 39-] to actuate the doffing apparatus 40.

While this invention has been described and illustrated with reference to a particular embodiment in a particular environment, various changes may be apparent to one skilled in the art and the invention is therefore not to be limited to such environment or embodiment, except as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for indicating the size of a package being wound comprising, a plurality of light sources directed toward said package being wound and focused to define the boundaries of a zone of predetermined dimension corresponding to a predetermined size to which the package is to be wound, light receiving means directed toward said boundaries, said light receiving means being located on the same side of said package as said light sources and being operable to receive light reflected by the boundaries of said package from said light sources when said package attains said predetermined size, and signal means connected with said light receiving means to produce an indication when the reflected light from the boundaries of the package is received by the light receiving means.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim I wherein the boundaries of said zone correspond to a predetermined diameter to which the package is to be wound.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including lens means for focusing the light reflected by the boundaries of the package from said light sources to said light receiving means.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 including means for serially connecting said photosensitive elements to thereby provide said indication from concurrent operation of all of said photosensitive elements.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said light receiving means is a plurality of photosensitive elements.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including a carriage for mounting said light sources and said light receiving means, and means for moving said carriage relative to said package to permit said light sources and light receiving means to periodically scan said package.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 including means for arranging a plurality of said packages in juxtaposition, and means mounting said carriage for movement relative to each said packages to sequentially scan the packages.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including package doffing means, and means connecting said signal means and said package doffing means to initiate doffing of said package when said indication is produced. 

1. Apparatus for indicating the size of a package being wound comprising, a plurality of light sources directed toward said package being wound and focused to define the boundaries of a zone of predetermined dimension corresponding to a predetermined size to which the package is to be wound, light receiving means directed toward said boundaries, said light receiving means being located on the same side of said package as said light soUrces and being operable to receive light reflected by the boundaries of said package from said light sources when said package attains said predetermined size, and signal means connected with said light receiving means to produce an indication when the reflected light from the boundaries of the package is received by the light receiving means.
 2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the boundaries of said zone correspond to a predetermined diameter to which the package is to be wound.
 3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including lens means for focusing the light reflected by the boundaries of the package from said light sources to said light receiving means.
 4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 including means for serially connecting said photosensitive elements to thereby provide said indication from concurrent operation of all of said photosensitive elements.
 5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said light receiving means is a plurality of photosensitive elements.
 6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including a carriage for mounting said light sources and said light receiving means, and means for moving said carriage relative to said package to permit said light sources and light receiving means to periodically scan said package.
 7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 including means for arranging a plurality of said packages in juxtaposition, and means mounting said carriage for movement relative to each said packages to sequentially scan the packages.
 8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including package doffing means, and means connecting said signal means and said package doffing means to initiate doffing of said package when said indication is produced. 